As Russia’s invasion continues to uproot millions, an American developer’s private effort is bringing renewed hope to displaced Ukrainians. Dell Loy Hansen, a 72-year-old real estate developer from Utah, has spent over $140 million building and restoring homes across Ukraine since 2022.

His most notable project, Hansen Village, located near Kyiv, now shelters more than 2,000 people displaced from occupied territories.

The settlement features modular homes, a school, a health clinic, and recreational areas — offering stability and dignity to families who lost everything. Hansen said his experience of public backlash years earlier in the U.S. gave him “humility” and inspired him to take action in Ukraine. “If you can build, then build. Don’t just watch,” he told the AP.

Hansen’s initiatives include expanding housing projects, aiding elderly citizens, supporting a prosthetics clinic, and launching a non-profit affordable housing program. His efforts come as Ukraine faces a severe housing crisis, with one in three citizens displaced and 13% of homes destroyed or damaged, according to U.N. data.

While government shelters and volunteer-run dormitories offer temporary refuge, overcrowding and lack of resources leave many in despair. “Sometimes six strangers must live in one small room,” said humanitarian worker Yevhen Tuzov. “What Hansen is doing is great — but why can’t we do that too?”

Despite Hansen’s personal investment, his contribution is just “a fraction of what’s needed” for Ukraine’s $524 billion reconstruction challenge. Yet his work has drawn recognition from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked him for supporting vulnerable communities.

For residents like 16-year-old Mykyta Bogomol, who fled Russian occupation in Kherson, Hansen Village represents safety and belonging. “Here, I finally feel safe,” he said.

“I don’t need recognition,” Hansen added. “If this work gives people hope, that’s the only reward I need.”